A 15-year-old from Harrow has been named as one of the winners of BAFTA’s 2026 Young Presenters competition after impressing judges during a live audition in London.
Hana won the 15-18 category of the national competition, while 11-year-old Sam, from Horsham, was named winner of the 10-14 age group.
The pair were selected from hundreds of entries from across the UK and will now join BAFTA’s team of Young Presenters, opening the door to presenting opportunities, industry mentoring and appearances at major events.
Speaking exclusively to Harrow Online following her win, Hana revealed that presenting was not something she had previously considered as a career.
BAFTA competition sparked Hana’s interest in presenting
Hana said: “To be honest, I never really considered presenting as a career growing up and the thought of it being a full time job was something I was very unfamiliar with, so it was the bafta competition itself that sparked my interest for presenting. As soon as I found out this was something I could do I became very invested and hoped that I would be able to win the competition to get an inside perspective…”
The competition, run in partnership with children’s mental health charity Place2Be, asked young people to submit a short video based around the theme ‘This is My Place’.
Eight finalists were eventually invited to BAFTA’s headquarters at 195 Piccadilly in London for a live audition day.
Hana interviewed BBC Radio 1 film critic Ali Plumb, with BAFTA saying her “composure, quick-witted humour” and ability to navigate questions about his career impressed judges.
Recalling the moment she discovered she had won, Hana told Harrow Online: “As you can imagine, I was overjoyed when I found out that I had won the competition. When I found out I was one of four finalists I thought maybe there had only been five or so entries! So I was shocked to find there were hundreds of applications and even more gobsmacked to learn I had won! BAFTA did an amazing job of ensuring the finalists day was an incredible experience including a tour of their whole building and even a photoshoot. So being announced as the winner was the best feeling ever. I can’t wait to get started.”
Asked what she thought helped her stand out, Hana said: “I don’t think I could tell you exactly what it was that helped me to stand out apart from the generic answer of ‘being myself’. But, I do think that dedicating myself to enjoying the experience helped my chances too, as I felt a lot more comfortable and confident!”
‘You should never doubt your ability to try’
Winning also means Hana will represent Harrow through a national programme which has previously given young presenters the chance to interview some of the biggest names in entertainment.
She said: “Winning a national competition is of course a huge deal, and meant a lot to me. Being able to make it through a competition with so many people was a great reminder that no matter how great a feat seems, you should never doubt your ability to try.”
Previous BAFTA Young Presenters have interviewed stars including Dame Judi Dench, Stormzy and Tom Hiddleston, as well as taking part in red carpet coverage at the EE BAFTA Film Awards.
Hana is now looking forward to seeing where the opportunity takes her.
She said: “With the title of young presenter, there are so many opportunities open to me, and I am extremely excited to try any and every opportunity I get!!”
Lisa Campbell, executive director of programmes at BAFTA, said: “At BAFTA, programmes such as BAFTA Young Presenters are at the heart of our charitable mission, giving young people the opportunity to build confidence, develop their skills and showcase their potential. The standard of this year’s entries was exceptional – full of creativity, commitment and ambition – and a powerful reminder of what can happen when emerging talent is given an early opportunity. Sam and Hana stood out for the energy and originality – and humour! Huge congratulations to them both. We’re delighted to welcome them to Young BAFTA and can’t wait to see them flourish as Young Presenters.”
The Young Presenters competition is now in its tenth year and forms part of BAFTA’s wider programme aimed at helping young people develop skills and explore careers across film, television and games.
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Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
